ATHENS, Ohio – The Ohio volleyball team will kick off the 2025 season with the Bobcat Invitational presented by Athens County Convention & Visitors Burea on Friday, August 29 in the Convocation Center.
Bobcat Invitational Schedule
Friday, August 29:
Bucknell vs. Iowa State – 3:30 PM
Ohio vs. Bucknell – 7:30 PM
Saturday, August 30:
Bucknell vs. Eastern Illinois – 12 PM
Ohio vs. Iowa State – 5 PM
Sunday, August 31:
Ohio vs. Eastern Illinois – 12 PM
BOBCAT INVITATIONAL PREVIEW
The Bobcat Invitational presented by the Athens County Convention & Visitors Burea will be hosted by Ohio on Friday, August 29 to Sunday, August 31. In the invitational, Ohio will face Bucknell, Iowa State and Eastern Illinois.
Bucknell concluded the 2025 season with a 21-5 overall and 13-3 conference record. The Bison advanced to the Patriot League Tournament, earning the no. 2 seed. Bucknell fell to no. 4 seed Army in five sets in the Patriot League quarterfinals. Bucknell's previous head coach, Tyler Hagstrom, resigned his position and assistant coach Jeremy Young was named interim head coach for the 2025 season. Bucknell was picked to finish third in the Patriot League Preseason Poll. Senior Caleigh O'Connell was selected as the Preseason Patriot League Setter of the Year and named to the Preseason All-League Team along with junior Sydney Shaffer.
Iowa State concluded the 2025 season with a 10-18 overall and 4-13 conference record. Christy Johnson-Lynch, one of the most successful volleyball coaches in Big 12 history, returns for her 21st season at the helm of the Iowa State volleyball program. Senior Maya Duckworth was earned Preseason All-Big 12 honors while the team was selected to finish ninth in the Big 12 Preseason Poll.
Eastern Illinois concluded the 2025 season with a 9-19 overall and 5-13 conference record. The Panthers enter the 2025 season with a new head coach, Ryan Millar, five transfers and three freshmen. Eastern Illinois was picked to finish eighth in the OVC Preseason Poll and senior Lilli Amettis was named the Pathers' player to watch for the season.
A NEW DAWN
Ohio kicks off the 2025 season with a new leader who is also a familiar face for the program. After spending three seasons as an assistant coach,
Kenzie Brinkman enters her first season as the Bobcats' head coach. Ohio returns its other two assistant coaches,
Steve Jones and
Kevin Gwinn, as well as former student manager
Sam DeJoseph who will be serving as a graduate assistant.
The 2025 roster features six newcomers, including two transfers and four freshmen. Senior
Kendall White and junior
Gentry Brown join the Bobcats from Kent State and Oakland. The freshmen class includes
Mady Long,
Cienna Lapsley,
Bailey Blair and
Lacy Marx.
2024 SEASON RECAP
The Bobcats concluded the 2024 season with a 14-15 overall and 10-8 conference record. Ohio finished seventh in the conference and just missed out on earning a spot in the MAC Tournament. The team finished with a .226 hitting percentage and outperformed its opponents in four statistical categories including kills, assists, digs and block assists.
As a team, Ohio ranked in the top five in the MAC for hitting percentage, kills, kills per set and assists per set. Returning setter
Bryn Janke ranked ninth in the MAC for assists and returning DS/Libero
Kendall Hickey ranked seventh in the MAC for digs.
MAC PRESEASON COACHES POLL
The Ohio volleyball team was selected to finish seventh overall and received 66 points in the 2025 Mid-American Conference Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll.
SEASON TICKETS
Season tickets for the 2025 Ohio volleyball season are now available
HERE. There are three seating options: Courtside ($105), Reserved ($75) and General Admission ($45). The sections for the reserved tickets are 1-4 behind the team bench while the rest of the arena is general admission.
#OUohyeah
